1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system, a program and a method for retrieving an image, particularly, an image retrieval system, image retrieval program and storage medium and an image retrieval method, which are capable of satisfying required prominence and preferable to perform layout in accordance with the number and the amount of a layout element.
2. Related Art
In layout operations of a poster, catalog and such, an attractive layout element such as an illustration, a cut, a photograph or an image (referred to as an eye-catching element, hereinafter) are effectively arranged so as to draw attention to a layout result, in many cases.
There is a case, however, that, even when a certain eye-catching element is selected for the purpose of securing prominence expected by a designer, a sufficient area to dispose the eye-catching element cannot be secured in a layout area since there are many layout elements expected to be printed. In such a case, it is required to scale down the eye-catching element to dispose the same or to select another eye-catching element. Contrary to the above, there is also a case that few layout elements expected to be printed cause an area with a blank space to appear even when the eye-catching element is disposed in the layout area. In this case, the eye-catching element is necessary to be enlarged for arrangement or another eye-catching element should be selected. Enlarging or scaling down the eye-catching element is likely to change prominence, and therefore, it is difficult to obtain the prominence expected. On the other hand, in the case of selecting another eye-catching element, it is difficult to properly select another eye-catching element capable of obtaining the prominence equivalent to the expected prominence, and accordingly, the expected prominence is also difficult to be obtained, similarly to the above.
As described above, in layout operations, it is desired to carry out layout in accordance with the number and the amount of a layout element with required prominence being satisfied.
As a technique for supporting layout operations, an image design supporting apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 10-188023 has been provided, for example.
In an invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 10-188023, an image analyzing portion and a collage image forming portion are included in a structure. A designer selects a similar impression image group (images having an impression similar to that of an image to be designed) and a contrast impression image group (images having an impression contrary to that of an image to be designed) among an image registration database (the database is simply abbreviated to DB, hereinafter). When the respective images are selected, the image analyzing portion is used for calculating visual characteristic information of the selected images such as an average of brightness, balance between light and shade, an average of chromaticity, balance between a cold color and a warm color, an average of saturation and the like. Then, the collage image forming portion selects two visual characteristics, which have a large difference in the average value of the visual characteristic information between the similar impression image group and the contrast impression image group. The respective images in the similar impression image group and the contrast impression image group are displayed in a display portion as a two-dimensional graph.
This gives a general designer, who has no designing knowledge, a clear and detailed guide to design an image. A general designer can thus design a whole image so as to make an impression of effectively conveying his or her intentions.
As a technique of performing image processing in accordance with the prominence of an image, an image compression method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 2003-153007 has been provided, for example.
In the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 2003-153007, an image in a cluster is graded on the basis of the importance of prominence of an image so as to automatically change the compression of the image. In a grading process, one or more amounts related to each image and one or more characteristics of contents of the image are calculated. The one or more characteristics include contents of the image. In the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 2003-153007, a reasoning algorithm practiced on the basis of an opinion of one or more observers is used for processing the above-mentioned amount to apply the amount to the image for the purpose of grading. The image is then variably compressed on the basis of the grading. A compression amount of a low grade image is more than that of a high grade image.
Japanese Patent Application Publication 10-188023 is an example of related art.
Japanese Patent Application Publication 2003-153007 is another example of the related art.
In the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 10-188023, it is arrange so that two visual characteristics, which have a large difference in the average value of the visual characteristic information between the similar impression image group and the contrast impression image group, are selected to display respective images in the similar impression image group and the contrast impression image group. Accordingly, even a general designer having no designing knowledge can easily select or collect images close to his or her own image, or contrary to the above, images opposite to his or her own image.
In the case, however, that a sufficient area to dispose the eye-catching element cannot be secured or that there is still an area with a blank space even with the eye-catching element disposed, the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 10-188023 cannot support the designer in obtaining the prominence expected by the designer. Therefore, there is a problem that layout is difficult to be carried out in accordance with the number and the amount of layout elements with the required prominence being satisfied.
The invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication 2003-153007 is a technique of grading an image in a cluster on the basis of prominence of the image so as to compress the image. The technical field and technical problems thereof are different from those concerning the layout of an image, and therefore, the problems described in the above paragraphs cannot be solved at all.